


Home

by gregknowshisshit



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Gen, Hurt Danny "Danno" Williams, M/M, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Past Abuse, Past Torture, Protective Steve McGarrett
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-01-19 16:30:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12413808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gregknowshisshit/pseuds/gregknowshisshit
Summary: What if Danny and Steve met differently in S1 E1?Steve is working the case against Doran when he finds Danny, beaten, and locked in a closet in the suspect's house. Can he help to get the man back to the man he used to be?





	1. Found

**Author's Note:**

> Me? Starting a new story even though I have like 10 unfinished ones? Noooooo?!

Steve had let out a sigh of relief as HPD had taken both of his first suspects into custody, dragging them away to the back of a car after patching up the twin gunshot wounds in each of their arms courtesy of Steve.

He decided to give the house a final once-over, looking for any sign that Doran had something to do with the murder of his father, and freezing as he noticed a mattress propped up in front of a door just off from the kitchen.

Steve approached it, pushing the mattress out of the way and finding the two handles of the door padlocked shut, a problem he quickly solved by shooting the lock off and dumping the chains.

Pulling open the doors, Steve had to hold back a small gasp as he was greeted by the sight of a curled up figure, trembling, handcuffed and backing itself into the corner of the tiny cramped space.

"It's alright. It's alright now, you're safe. I'm a friend. Okay? I'm with the police. I'm not gonna hurt you." Steve spoke softly, holstering his gun and raising his hands unthreateningly, being rewarded as the figure's head finally tilted up to look at him.

It was a man, no younger than the age of 30, but extremely pale and thin, his gaunt face haunting Steve in such a way that he was sure he'd remember the image forever. The man's overgrown blonde hair was hanging over his whole face, and his blue eyes were unfocused and glassy as he stared up at Steve with a trembling bottom lip.

"I'm gonna get you out of here, don't worry. Look, I've got a key for handcuffs, we'll get you right out and you'll be just fine." Steve promised, reaching into his pocket and retrieving the key for handcuffs, carefully loosening the ones around the man's wrists until they dropped off.

"Can you tell me your name, buddy?" Steve asked gently, frowning half in sympathy as the man only eyed him warily and tried to back up a little further.

"It's okay, buddy, I promise. I'm Steve McGarrett, I'm a Navy SEAL and I'm working on a task force with the Honolulu PD. I promise, I'm just here to help. Can you please tell me your name?"

"D-Danny." The man whispered almost silently, however Steve grinned at the response and nodded.

"Alright, great. You think if I help you then we can get you out of here? Get you checked out and cleaned up?" Steve offered, wanting to get Danny out of the filthy cupboard that couldn't be any smaller if it tried. The smell of urine, faeces and vomit was overwhelming the tiny area, only serving as evidence of how long the blonde man must have been locked in there.

"H-Hurts."

"I know it does, buddy, I know. I promise though, there's an ambulance right outside. If you just take my hand, I can take you right out there and they can help." Steve continued, holding his hand out to the weaker man and smiling as after a few more moments of hesitation, Danny's bony fingers linked in with his own and the man shuffled forwards.

"Good boy." Steve smiled as he helped Danny to stand, supporting most of the man's body weight as they made their way outside slowly, Danny only freezing as they stepped out into the sunlight and he squinted his eyes and dragged Steve back into the house with him.

"Chin? Can you bring me your sunglasses please?" Steve called out to the ex-police officer, the native taking one look at Danny before nodding quickly and running over, handing his sunglasses to Steve and watching as the man carefully placed them over Danny's sensitive eyes.

"I know it isn't perfect, buddy. You're doing great though, I promise, we're really close to the ambulance." Steve encouraged Danny, shooting a thankful smile at Chin as the man walked in front of them in order to block both the light, and the stares from the other police workers. 

The three of them got to the ambulance and Danny practically bundled himself inside immediately, although his hand remained tightly linked with Steve's own even as the paramedic began checking Danny over.

"Lieutenant Commander McGarrett? He's going to have to go to the hospital, he's malnourished and dehydrated."

"N-No! No!!" Danny suddenly yelled out, tearing himself away from Steve and managing to land a single firm kick to the paramedic as he backed himself into the corner of the floor of the ambulance.

"Danny, buddy, it's alright. Look at me. Come on, buddy, look at me. That's it, it's just me. I'm not gonna let you get hurt, remember? Can you take my hand again, please?" Steve approached him carefully, crouching on the floor alongside Danny and perching there silently until the blonde man finally took his hand once more.

"Okay, that's great, Danny. You don't like hospitals?" Steve asked with a slight, gentle smile, hoping to get Danny to open up and succeeding as the man nodded weakly, his eyes tearing up once again.

"Alright buddy. You really need to get fixed up there, though. Would it be a bit better if I stayed with you the whole time? Made sure it was all going smoothly?" Steve offered, seemingly grabbing Danny's attention as the blonde man's head shot up in surprise and his eyes widened a little.

"S-Stay?"

"That's right. I could stay with you, make sure you're safe and not on your own. Does that sound good, buddy?" Steve smiled as Danny nodded his approval after only a moment of thought, tightening his grip on the SEAL's hand a little as the paramedic took a step towards them once again.

"Chin, I need you to look through missing persons cases filed in the last couple of years, see if you can get an ID on him for me. You're looking for a Danny or Daniel, blonde hair, blue eyes. You know the drill. Text me whatever you can, and keep me updated on Doran." Steve ordered quietly after he had managed to get Danny back up onto the stretcher in the ambulance, and the paramedic was now carefully checking him over for the second time. 

"Will do, boss." Chin nodded in response, closing the door of the ambulance behind them and turning back to his car to look through the files for Steve. 

The ambulance got to the hospital fairly quickly and with no other disastrous moments, although as they got closer to the hospital, Danny got progressively closer to Steve, until eventually he was practically hidden in the taller man's side and breathing heavily, his whole body trembling nervously.

"It's gonna be just fine, Danny. I promise, you're going to feel so much better. You've done great so far, bud." Steve soothed quietly as he felt the ambulance come to a halt and the doors were opened by the paramedic.

Steve had only managed to get Danny a few steps out of the ambulance when a trickling sound reached his ears just as Danny's walking ceased up, and Steve looked down to find adjacent wet patches expanding on both Danny's pants and the floor.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I'm sorry- I-" Danny started to ramble tearfully, only to be hushed quickly by Steve, who had already anticipated that the man's control may have been lost in whatever length of time that he'd been locked away.

"Hey, it's alright. Don't apologise. It's been a long day, it isn't your fault. You think you're done before we head inside?" Steve replied kindly, rubbing his spare hand soothingly up and down Danny's arm as the man drew in a shaky, nervous breath, and nodded silently, a lone tear dripping down his cheek.

"It's all fine, Danny. I promise, you're safe now. Did Doran hurt you if you couldn't get to a bathroom in time?" Steve tried to press gently for information as he continued to lead Danny inside the hospital, hoping to be able to build up a solid case against his lead suspect. 

Steve stopped however, as Danny didn't reply but instead his breathing sped up and he choked out a sob, trying to cover his face with his free arm while onlookers stared at him in concern.

"It's okay, it's alright. I'm sorry for asking, he's gone now, Danny. You're safe." Steve tried to calm him, but Danny only seemed to get more and more agitated as he pulled back from Steve until he smacked against the wall behind him, before sliding to the corner and curling himself up on the ground there, a small puddle growing around him as he had yet another accident.

A member of security attempted to make him move, and before Steve could do anything about it, Danny had lashed out and pushed the man down, screaming at the top of his lungs as he did so, and scratching at his arms.

"Everybody listen to me, nobody touch him. Let me talk him down, and I'm gonna need a private room and a new set of clothes for him. Now back off." Steve spoke loudly and with a warning tone as he took a few careful strides towards Danny's shaking form.

"Danny, buddy? It's me, Steve. You remember me, right? I'm not gonna hurt you." Steve started slowly, crouching to Danny's level and wondering if Danny had even heard the words as he only stared at Steve with wide, frightened eyes. 

"I'm really gonna need you to take a nice, deep breath for me though, bud. Get yourself a little calmer. Can you try that for me? A nice, big breath through your nose and out your mouth?" He continued, edging closer to Danny with every word, and nodding to himself as the blonde man worked hard to follow Steve's instructions, his trembling relaxing a little.

"Good Danny, that's great. Can you let me help to get you cleaned up? Nobody else has to come, buddy, I promise. It'll just be me."

"H-Hurt me." Danny stuttered out weakly, still looking warily at the crowds around the two of them, his hands still gripping his own arms tightly.

"Nobody's gonna hurt you here, I promise you that. Nobody else even has to come with us, but I just need you to trust me so I can get you clean and safe. Just me, Danny, I swear. Please." Steve sighed sadly, extending his hand out and waiting with baited breath for any kind of reaction.

Danny waited a few moments before finally reaching out his own hand, linking it slowly with Steve's outstretched one and allowing his fighting spirit to crumble as he suddenly threw himself at the SEAL, burying his face in the Steve's shirt.

Steve only held him as he broke down, before picking him up in his arms and carried him to the hospital room that a nurse had prepared for them and away from prying eyes. Danny's hand remained tightly clasping Steve's own the whole time, even as Steve got him sat on the bed in the room and pottered around grabbing bits and pieces to check Danny over with.

The blonde man eventually fell asleep, Steve taking the opportunity to make quick work of changing his clothes and bagging the old ones as evidence, before simply sitting and watching over the sleeping form of Danny. 

As he watched the steady rise and fall of Danny's chest, and felt the weak, bony fingers of the man's hand squeezing his own tightly as he slept, Steve already vowed to himself that he would never let Danny get hurt again so long as he lived.


	2. Past

Steve had been sat watching over Danny for the best part of 4 hours, when the man started to writhe and groan in his sleep, a thin layer of sweat beginning to coat his forehead.

"No- Gracie- No! Grace! Gracie!" He cried out, Steve moving to stand beside the bed and clutching Danny's hand a little tighter as the man's breathing sped up and he became more and more worked up.

Steve simply raised his hand to run it gently through Danny's hair, using his other to run his thumb over the back of Danny's own hand, not wanting to wake the blonde who clearly needed as much sleep as possible.

The combination of his careful touches and whispered soothing words apparently worked, as Danny slowly calmed down once again, relaxing back into the pillows and his tight grip on Steve's hand loosening just a little.

Steve then felt his phone buzz in his pocket, pulling it out to find a text from Chin and letting out a sigh of relief as he might finally be given an idea as to who this man was.

He couldn't stop his eyes from widening in shock however, as the missing person's profile of Danny came up on his screen, and he saw the stark contrast between the man lying on the bed before him, and who he had once been.

The blonde had been reported as missing just over a year ago, his ex-wife having filed the report when he failed to arrive to pick up his daughter, Grace, from school. Steve's heart took a nosedive at the thought of Danny's little girl living without him for a year, never knowing if he was safe or if she'd ever see him again.

Danny had been a new recruit to the Honolulu PD at the time of his disappearance, meaning that the search for him had been held back for a few days when the force had assumed he was working a private case, meaning they lost most of their key evidence and leads.

Steve had to hold back his anger as he read through the file and found that Danny's case had been cast to one side after only a month, his ex-wife and a few lone members of the force being the only ones to keep raising awareness to find him.

It was the attached photograph of Danny, however, that had affected Steve the most as he scrolled through the file. It had been taken only a few weeks before he disappeared, and despite the lack of a smile on his face, and the hint of sadness Steve could see in his eyes, Danny had at least looked healthy.

His blonde hair was perfectly styled on his head, the blue shirt and tie he was wearing highlighting his tanned complexion, no doubt from having lived on the island for a short time before joining the police department.

Steve could barely recognise the man on the bed as the same person, his pale skin and long, greasy hair making him look completely different. Not to mention the dramatic weight loss that had caused his cheeks to thin out, and dark circles to surround his eyes.

"Jesus, Danny. What has he done to you?" Steve whispered, almost to himself, as he shook his head sadly, giving Danny's hand another small squeeze.

The action seemed to rouse the blonde man, as his eyes blinked awake and he looked around the room questioningly, staring up at Steve with wide eyes.

"Hey buddy, it's alright. You remember what happened?" 

"F-Fred. G-Gone."

"That's right, Danny. We got you, you're safe now. Fred Doran is never going to be able to hurt you again."

"G-Gone." 

"Yeah buddy, he's gone now. You're safe." Steve repeated in the same gentle tone, running his thumb soothingly over the back of Danny's hand as the man nodded with slightly glazed over eyes.

"How are you feeling? We haven't really had a chance to get you fixed up yet, but you're on some painkillers and antibiotics, and once you're ready then we can give you a full checkup."

"G-Grace." Danny then choked out, his eyes tearing up again as he looked pleadingly up at Steve.

"I'm gonna call Rachel and have her bring Grace to see you once you've been checked over, buddy. Okay? I promise."

"S-Safe?" 

"She's safe, Danny. She's safe, and so are you, and I'll bet she can't wait to see her daddy again." Steve assured him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze for good measure as Danny's face crumpled and he cried harder as he nodded weakly.

"You're okay. I promise buddy, everything is gonna be alright now." Steve promised as he leant towards the bed and carefully wrapped his arms around Danny, rocking him slightly as he leant into the embrace.

The two of them remained like that for a short while, Danny slowly calming down while Steve only waited patiently, before Danny suddenly made a slight whimpering noise and backed out of Steve's arms.

"Hey. Hey, Danny, it's alright. It's okay. What's the matter, buddy? What's happened?" Steve asked in concern, raising his hands in a non-threatening way, not having to wait long for an answer as an unpleasant smell hit him and he realised that Danny had yet another accident in the bed.

"Don't worry about it, Danny. It's okay, I promise. It isn't your fault." Steve tried to talk softly, silently pressing the nurses call button on the wall behind him.

"I-I'm sorry! I-I'm sorry! Pl-Please don't- D-Don't-" Danny begged desperately, curling himself up tightly into a ball and pulling at his own hair, shaking his head furiously.

"Danny, it's me, it's Steve. I'm not going to do anything, buddy. You're safe here. Look at me, Danny, come on."

"Disgusting. Wrong. Dirty. Bad." Danny started up on a string of words, smacking his fists against the sides of his head hard as he continued pulling at his hair.

"Come on, buddy. Stop that. It's alright, we're gonna get you cleaned up. Ssh, babe, calm down." Steve continued, slipping his own hands over Danny's and gently forcing them away from his head, the man crying out in response and trying to fight against Steve, who simply held the blonde to his chest.

The nurse entered the room not a minute later, turning immediately to a large tray of medical equipment and grabbing a syringe needle, jabbing it into Danny's arm and injecting him with the clear fluid, leaving him sprawled heavily against Steve as he passed out.

Steve and her then managed to manoeuvre Danny into the small hospital bathroom, working together to get his soiled clothes off of him and carefully cleaning him, Steve dealing mostly with Danny while the nurse cleaned his bed and retrieved a fresh hospital gown. Just as Steve was finishing cleaning Danny off, the doctor walked into the room, setting up his equipment beside Danny's bed.

"Is there anything that you can do about this? The accidents? It isn't going to help his progress if he's having a panic attack every time he has to go to the bathroom." 

"I could offer incontinence medication, however in this case I don't believe they'd do much to help. Lieutenant Commander McGarrett, Danny's body is conditioned to being unable to wait until there is access to a bathroom in order to relieve himself. At this stage, the only way to overcome this is to have him in diapers or on a catheter until he's used to recognising the signs once again." The doctor explained slowly with a sigh, helping Steve as he got Danny dried off and into the new gown, before carrying him back to bed.

"So you're saying there's nothing I can do to help him? Doran is just going to take over his life all over again?"

"With all due respect, Commander, the aftermath of a kidnapping was never going to be simple. Psychologically, Danny is going to need months, if not years to recover from this. The best we can all do now is try to aid him back to the life he had before, but we can't rush it."

"So what do you suggest?"

"Small things. Checking every thirty minutes if he needs to go to the bathroom, bringing his attention back to knowing when to be aware of it. Getting him to talk about his experiences will help too, not letting him keep them locked away in his mind to keep replaying. It's going to take time, Commander." The doctor continued, Steve taking his place beside Danny's bed once more.

"Getting his family here should help as well, and making sure that he's living somewhere that somebody can keep an eye on him, where he feels safe but not trapped."

Steve only nodded slightly in response to the doctors advice, casting his eyes over Danny's curled up form on the bed and sighing sadly as he only wished he could have been here to find the man earlier.

The doctor checked Danny over silently after that, patching up the injuries that he was able to reach, all the while Steve sat vigil at the bedside, deep in thought as he watched over the blonde.

He was pulled from his own mind as he felt a weight on his hand, and was unable to hold back a small smile as he looked down to find that Danny had linked their hands together once again in his sleep, clutching Steve's hand as though he was the only thing left on earth, something that Steve was more than willing to be if it meant that Danny felt safe in his presence.

Ignoring the medical personnel in the room, Steve simply squeezed Danny's hand a little tighter, sliding his chair closer to the bed and leaning to press a kiss to the man's tense forehead. Running a soothing thumb over the back of Danny's hand, Steve then reverted to whispering small words of support and swore that he'd do anything he could to protect the man who had somehow won his whole heart completely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... not entirely sure if I liked this one? Everything about it just seemed a bit? Off?? I don't know. I hope you at least enjoyed it a little!! Your comments and kudos make me happy :)


	3. Telling Rachel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *peeps out from hiding place* So... Hello again...... I owe everyone reading any of my stories such a huge apology. I started University a couple of months ago and it’s been insanely busy, so I haven’t had too much time to update fics. I’ve also just not been having the best time in terms of my mental health and personal stuffs, so that’s held me back majorly!! And on top of all of that, I’ve been desperately holding myself back from posting new stories, as I already have so many series to finish :’) Hopefully over the holiday season I’ll be able to get some finished, and catch up a little but yeah, I’m sorry guys!! D: 
> 
> As for this chapter, it is very much a filler, but I know where I’m going from here on out I think, so bare with me (again)! Thank you all for reading and continuing to support me :)

Once Steve had been convinced by the nurse that Danny wouldn’t be waking up any time soon, and that he was safe from any further accidents as they had fitted a catheter, he carefully let go of the frail man’s hand and silently left the room.

Taking the address that Chin had sent to him along with Danny’s missing person’s file, Steve headed straight from the hospital and drove his truck to the house of Rachel Edwards, knocking on the door and waiting with baited breath as he heard footsteps approach on the other side.

He was greeted as the door swung open by a brunette woman, holding an almost newborn baby in her arms and bouncing it lightly, looking puzzled as she saw the uniformed man.

“Can I help you?” She asked in a thick British accent, confirming her identity to Steve as he had read her file before going to the house.

“Mrs Edwards, I’m Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett. I’ve just taken leave from the navy and started work with the Honolulu PD on a task force called Five-0. Would it be alright if I came in?” Steve introduced himself politely, offering his hand for her to shake and shooting a quick smile to the small child in her arms.

“I suppose so, I’m just in the middle of feeding Charlie. Come on through to the living room.” 

Steve gave a slight nod of thanks and followed Rachel into the house, unable to stop himself from glancing around in amazement at the immense size of the house and the impressive decoration.

“You have a beautiful home, Mrs Edwards.” He smiled to her as they got to the living room and Rachel sat Charlie on her lap, bouncing him gently and causing him to giggle.

“Thank you, most of this was Stan. My husband he’s- Well, let’s just say he’s not exactly short of money. And he knows exactly how to spend it right. You don’t mind do you?” Rachel replied with a small smile, hesitating before going to feed Charlie but continuing as Steve simply shook his head with another smile, Rachel resting the child comfortably against her chest before looking back at Steve.

“So what is this about, Lieutenant?” 

“I’m not sure if you heard, but before I returned to the island, my father was murdered. I’m looking into the leads that we have on possible suspects, that’s why the task force was created, and why I was chosen to lead it.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“One of our suspects, Fred Doran, was taken in today for questioning. I was doing the once over of his house, and I found a small storage cupboard that he had chained shut. I managed to work it open, and inside we found a man.” Steve started slowly, leaning forwards a little, ready to offer support when he noticed how Rachel’s face paled slightly and her eyes widened a little.

“We did a background search, and got the missing persons file of Danny Williams. He’s in the hospital now, he’s been sedated as he needs as much sleep as he can get, and he’s also been placed on intravenous drips for both dehydration and nourishment.” 

Rachel swallowed thickly then, only managing to pull Charlie away from her and button her shirt once again with shaking fingers, before she finally choked out a sob and her face crumbled. 

Steve was up out of his chair and sitting beside her in a moment, carefully taking the child from her arms and holding him safely, while he rested a hand on Rachel’s back and soothed her quietly.

“It’s alright. He’s going to be okay. I’m so sorry that it’s taken this long, I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you or your daughter.” Steve spoke softly, patiently waiting until Rachel was able to calm down before attempting to explain further, only rocking little Charlie and trying to keep him calm.

“H-He’s- He’s alive?”

“Yeah. He’s changed a lot, he’s not like the man you used to know. But the doctors say that having his family back, especially Grace, will help him to move on and open up. It’s gonna take time but he’s strong. Hell, I’ve only known him a few hours and he’s one of the strongest men I’ve ever met.”

“I-I can’t- H-How am I supposed to tell Grace about this? I- I’ve lived the past year being told he was dead.” Rachel choked out through yet another sob, her voice cracking over most of the words as she looked pleadingly up at Steve.

“I’m so sorry. Danny was one of HPD’s own, they should have been pulling all means necessary to find him. I could help you in telling Grace if you need anybody there with you. Sometimes it helps just to have someone there to fall back on if it gets overwhelming.”

“I-I don’t know if I can see him.”

“Rachel, I know it seems hard but-“

“N-No you don’t- B-Before he was taken. D-Danny and I were thinking of getting back together. We slept together. Once. It was stupid, and we shouldn’t have done it, not with Stan in the picture. But he- I-“ Rachel started to explain, unable to put into words what she wanted to say, but Steve understanding as her eyes fell on the child in his arms, and she choked out another sob.

“Does anybody else know that Charlie is Danny’s son?” 

“N-Nobody. I didn’t- Th-There wasn’t time to tell Danny before he disappeared.”

“He needs to know. And he needs to see Grace. Whether you want to see him again or not, he needs this. He can’t be alone anymore, Rachel, he needs some familiarity.” 

“I can’t- H-How would I tell the kids and-“ Rachel started to ramble before being cut off as Steve’s phone began to ring and he answered it immediately, the conversation short however obviously important as he stood from the sofa as soon as it was over, bouncing Charlie gently as he began to whine.

“I’ve got to go, Danny’s woken up and he’s panicking. With all due respect, ma’am, I think that you’d be wrong if you didn’t at least allow the kids to see Danny. Think about how much Grace has missed her daddy, and about who you really want Charlie to be looking up to as his father. Thank you for letting me in today, I hope that you change your mind.” Steve said pointedly as he carefully handed Charlie back to Rachel, before heading for the door.

Just as he was about to close it behind him, he was halted as Rachel called out to him suddenly, and he turned back around to face her.

“Could you- Maybe- Would you be able to come back and help me tell Gracie this afternoon? I don’t know what to tell her.” Rachel asked quietly, and Steve’s hardened expression immediately softened into a smile as he nodded gently.

“Of course I will. I’ve got to get to Danny, and then I’ll have a few loose ends of the arrest to tie up, but I can be here at 7pm. Would that be okay with you?” 

“7 is perfect. Thank you, Commander.”

“Not a problem, ma’am. I’ll see you later.” Steve smiled again before closing the door behind him and heading to his car, already looking forward to telling Danny that he’d be seeing his little girl again very soon.


	4. Gracie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve arrives at the Edwards’ home to tell Grace about the discovery of her father.

As he had promised, at 7pm that night, Steve showed up at Rachel’s door, greeting her with a smile as she welcomed him into the house.

“Good evening, Commander. Can I get you anything to drink? Tea, coffee, juice?”

“A coffee would be great thank you, ma’am. Have you explained to Grace anything about what I’m going to tell her yet?”

“I haven’t. I was going to bring it up on the way home from school, but she was so excited about something that had happened in class and I just- I couldn’t.”

“That’s okay, I understand. It’s a huge thing for everybody involved, I’m just here to make sure that you’re all coping okay. I’m more than happy to explain everything to Grace.” Steve explained with a kind smile, laying a reassuring hand on Rachel’s arm which she returned with a thankful nod, before turning and walking to the bottom of the stairs.

“Gracie, sweetheart? Can you come downstairs please?” She called up, the response being the fast padding sound of little feet above them, before Grace finally arrived in view, her speed slowing as she spotted Steve standing there.

“Mommy, who’s he?” Grace asked in barely more than a whisper, hiding half behind Rachel who laid a gentle hand on the top of her hair calmingly.

“Grace, this is Commander Steve McGarrett. He’s here to talk to you about something very important, okay? I need you to be a good girl and listen to him. Go and say hello.” Rachel told her gently, Grace looking a little confused before she stepped towards Steve, the man instantly crouching to her level.

“Hi Grace. My name’s Steve.” He smiled gently, offering out a hand for her to shake which she did so nervously. 

“Hello, Mister Steve.”

“Your mommy tells me that something good happened in your class today. Is that true?” He continued in an excited tone, his enthusiasm apparently working as Grace’s eyes immediately lit up and she nodded happily.

“Yes! My friend Lucy and me did a- A present! All about Hawaii! And- um- And we did a song at the end and everyone clapped! Even Mrs Kelly!!” 

“You mean a presentation, sweetheart.” Rachel added in quietly, a fond smile playing on her lips at the way that Grace struggled over some of the longer words in her excitement.

“Yeah! A present-tay-shun!” Grace repeated a little slower this time around, sounding out the syllables with great care.

“Well that sounds brilliant, Grace. I bet your presentation was the best in the whole class.” Steve replied with a grin, gaining an enthusiastic nod from Grace in response.

“I got you a little present, Grace. Your mommy told me how much you love dolphins, and so I thought this little guy might make you smile.” Steve continued on, his smile growing softer as he pulled a small, plush dolphin out from one of his pockets, offering it out to Grace, only to have the girl back away a little towards her mother once again.

“Mommy says I shouldn’t take things from strangers.” 

“Gracie, it’s okay, I promise. Mommy knows Steve, he’s not a stranger. You can take it, baby.” Rachel promised the girl, smiling again as Grace’s little face lit up and she took the gift with gentle hands.

“Thank you, Mister Steve!”

“That’s okay, sweetheart. Now, I’ve got something important to talk to you about. Should we go and sit on the sofa so you’re a little bit more comfortable?’ Steve suggested, Grace nodding and taking one of his hands in her own tiny one, dragging him through to the living room before plonking herself down on one of the sofas, earning a small laugh from both Steve and Rachel.

“Can I have some juice, mommy?” 

“Of course, sweetheart. I’ll get you that coffee, Commander.”

“Thank you, Rachel.” Steve smiled in response, Rachel giving him a small nod which Steve took as permission to begin telling Grace about her father, sitting opposite her and crouching to be at her level.

“Okay, Gracie. I’ve got some big news to tell you, so if you want me to stop, or you want your mommy, you just tell us straight away, okay?” Steve checked with the young girl, who nodded with a smile in return, still cuddling her dolphin toy tightly. 

“Good girl. Have you ever heard of a task force?”

“No, Mister Steve.”

“Well, sweetie, I run a task force here in Hawaii, and it’s our job to catch bad guys and help all of the good people living here on the island.”

“Like a police man?”

“Kind of, sweetheart. Except, we only get very, very special cases.” Steve explained further, Grace nodding again in understanding before Steve continued on.

“We were working on a case this week, and there was a very bad man who we’ve been looking for, and we managed to catch him.”

“Yey!”

“Yeah, sweetheart. We’re really good at doing that.” Steve winked with a slight laugh, gaining a giggle from the young girl.

“But Gracie, when we were searching the bad man’s house to look for evidence, we found something much more important. We found your daddy, sweetheart. Your daddy is alive, and he’s safe now in the hospital.” 

Steve watched as Grace suddenly froze in her place on the couch, swallowing thickly as her eyes glazed over with tears and she looked up at Steve in shock.

“Are you okay, sweetheart? Do you want your mommy?” Steve asked as Grace stayed silent, her face paling significantly as she continued to stare at Steve unresponsively. 

“M-Mister Steve. M-My tummy feels funny.” 

“Okay, sweetheart. That’s alright. Let’s get you to the bathroom.” Steve responded quickly but in the softest voice that he could muster, laying a gentle hand on Grace’s back and allowing her to grip onto his other hand like a vice as he led her to the bathroom.

They had only made it a few steps before Grace was being sick down her own chin and onto the floor, Steve instantly crouching beside her and rubbing her back, while Rachel stood in the doorway of the room and watched with tearful eyes, clearly panicked and unsure of what to do.

“Rachel, could you bring over that juice please?”

“I-I’m sorry, Mister Steve. I-I didn’t mean to.” Grace whispered tearfully as Steve leant across to the table, grabbing a tissue and using it to gently wipe down her face, before leading her back to the sofa and sitting her down, helping her to take a few sips of her juice.

“Don’t be sorry, sweetheart. I know, it’s alright. It’s big news to hear after such a long time, huh?” Steve smiled softly in response, getting a small nod in reply from Grace who was trying desperately to hold back her tears as she looked up into Steve’s face, her chin trembling dangerously.

“You’re being such a brave girl, Grace. I know this is a really big thing to be told, and it’s okay if you need a break or want your mommy. I won’t be mad.” Steve told her quietly, expecting her to ask for Rachel, and instead almost falling back in shock when she suddenly threw herself at him in a hug.

He carefully wrapped one of his arms around her after regaining his balance, and lightly rested a hand on the back of her head as she buried her face in the side of his neck and he quickly felt it become wet with her tears.

“I-I want my Danno.” 

“I know you do, I know. We’re gonna get you to him as soon as possible, okay? It’ll be okay, baby. Your Danno loves you so much.”

“A-Are you gonna look after him, Mister Steve?”

“Of course I am, sweetheart. Look at me for a second.” Steve said, gently pulling away from Grace and tilting her head up slightly to look at him.

“I promise you, I am going to do everything I can to make sure that your daddy is safe. And you, and your mommy and Charlie are allowed to come and see him whenever you want, okay?”

“O-Okay, Mister Steve.”

“Good girl. You’ve been so brave, sweetheart, your daddy is gonna be so proud of you.”

“D-Danno’s always brave.” Grace sniffled in response, rubbing at her eyes with a balled up fist to rid them of tears.

“Let’s get you to bed, sweetheart. Say goodbye to Commander McGarrett.” Rachel then stepped in, being met with a cry of protest from Grace who clung onto Steve like a lifeline in response.

“I don’t want to go to bed, mommy! I want to go with Mister Steve and see Danno!”

“Grace..” Rachel replied in a warning tone, looking a bit exasperated, before Steve stepped in, giving the woman a soft smile and then turning back to the girl in his arms.

“Listen sweetheart, it’s a bit too late to go and see Danno right now. Why don’t you listen to your mommy, and go and get a good nights sleep, and then we can see how everyone is feeling tomorrow, hm? I promise to call you in the morning.”

“Promise?”

“I pinky promise, sweetheart. I’ll call your mommy as soon as I wake up.”

“Okay, Mister Steve.”

“Good girl. I’m gonna head back to the hospital now, Rachel, but thank you for letting me come here tonight. I’ll be round again really soon with some more information for all of you.”

Rachel was just about to answer when Steve’s phone rang, the man answering and his eyes widening before he ran out of the house without any explanation to the pair, his only focus on getting back to Danny and the emergency situation he’d been informed of.


End file.
